Pipe-wrench.



W. s. T HQMSON. PIPE WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1, 1913.

1 l 22,335. Patented Dee. 29, 1914.

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THE NORME PETERS cn F'HoToLlTHO.f-WASHINGTON. D. CA

WILLIAM S. THOMSON, OF PLANTSVILLE, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T0 THE H. D. SMITH & COMPANY, OF PLANTSVILLE, CONNECTICUT.

PIPE-WRENCH.

Specification of Letters Patent. patinte@ D90. 29, 1914.

Application filed November 1, 1913. Serial No. 798,686.

To zZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, WlLLIAM S. THOM- soN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ilantsville, in the county of Hartford and State of' Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pipe- VVrenches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in pipe wrenches, and the object of my improvement is to produce a pipe wrench in which the spring for positioning the movable jaw is protected and in a manner that is effective and reliable.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved pipe wrench. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, the handle being in part broken away. Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the same. Fig. 4 is a sectional view and on an enlarged scale on the line a@ of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line g/ r/ of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line a a of Fig. 2. 7 is a similar view with the parts moved from the position shown in Fig. 6.

My pipe wrench comprises a fixed member 10 having a jaw 11 at one end, a handle 12 at the other end, and a shank 13 intermediate the said ends, and a movable jaw 11 that is slidably and adjustably housed in a rocking frame l5 and which latter is pivotally mounted on the shank 13 by means of a pin 16. A spring 17 positioned in the shank 13 and engaged with the rocking frame 15 tends to hold the jaws 11 and 111 in the closed position. vWings 18 on the rocking frame 15 inclose the spring 17 and protect the same from accidental injury. The hole 20 in the shank 13 for the pi'votal pin 16 is adjacent the jaw 11 and the said shank is finished for an appreciable distance on the sides adjacent and rearwardly of. the said hole 20 suitably to slidably enter between the depending flanges 19 on the rocking frame 15 as shown at 2l. At the rear end of the finished portion 21 there are side lugs 22 on the shank 13 that engage with the flanges 19 and thereby limit the movement thereof when the rocking frame 15 is tilted to the closed position. The side lugs 22 are finished off in rounded and approxi- 'mately cylindrical form, as shown in Figs.

a well 23 in the shank 13, and which extends appreciably into the body of' the said shank, and which well 23 is positioned in the portion of' the shank that is reinforced by the lugs 22. The said body portion extends rearwardly in the form of a bearing lug 29 over the hole 23 suitably to engage with the upper end of the spring 17, and serves as the means of engagement ofl thesaid spring 17 and the rocking frame 15. Because ofI the rounded character of' the side walls of the shank 13 and stop lugs 22 at the well 23 and spring 17 I find that I can drop downwardly the side walls of the bearing lug 29 in the form of wings 18, already mentioned, so as to overhang the adjacent upper portion 30 of the said shank, and inclose the spring 17. The said wings accordingly serve' to protect the spring.

The rocking frame 15 is a shell-like structure having the body portion provided with a longitudinal slot 211 in which is positioned the screw threaded shank 25 of the usual form and connected with the movable jaw 14, and also provided with the usual crosswise slot 26 in which is positioned the nut 27 engaged with the said shank 25, and the depending flanges 19 depend downwardly from the said body portion. The front ends..

of the flanges 19 have holes 28 that are engaged with the pivotal pin 16, and the rear ends are opposed to the lugs 22, as already mentioned. Normally, the jaws are held in the closed position by the spring and in this position the spring is full open, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. In this position it will be noted that the wings 18 extend downwardly sufliciently to cover the portion of the spring 17 that extends upwardly above the well 23. In the other extreme position, as shown in Fig. 7, the spring 17 is for the most part housed in the well 23 and the wings 18 are in abutment with the upper portion of the lugs 22. Accordingly, the wings 18 are of in practice, this is a particularly Weak part 1 ot the frame and the part that is likely to give way irst under heavy strain. The wings also cooperate in positioning the upper end ot' the spring.

The construction described is such as to permit making the handle member by the drop forging process.

The portion ot' the shank having the well 23 and the side lugs 22 is rounded as mentioned and actually as shown is ot' oval :tormation, with the major axis vertical, with the well at the middle and upper portion` and this Yform is suitable to be drop-forged in dies entire in an ordinary manner.

The wings 18 on the rocking' frame 15 are as shown downward extensions ot side iianges extending rearwardly from the said rocking frame l5, and which are bridged by the bearing lug 29. rl`he lower surfaces of the wings 18 are rounded as shown to conform approximately to the rounded form of the shank opposed to the same as described, so that the extreme outer lateral edges thereoie are appreciably below the inner portions of the same, as will be noted in Figs. 5, and 7. lt is because of the drop permitted in the said lateral edges by the rounded construction described that a positive housing and protection of the spring 17 is insured, even with the maximum opening of the spring;` that is allowed in the operation of the wrench.

I claim as my invention z- A pipe wrench comprising a fixed member having` a jaw at one end, a handle at the other end, and a shank intermediate the said ends, a rocking member pivotally mounted on the said shank and operatively housing a movable jaw, the said shank having a well for housing,` a spring and the said rocking member having a rearwardly extending lug overhanging the said well, a spring` hoiised in the said well, lugs on the sides of the said shank, one on each side of the said well, serving to reinforce the said shank and as stop lugs for the said frame, and haring a curved upper surface adjacent the said well, and wings overhanging the said curved upper surface extending rearwardly from the side walls of the said trame, alongside the said rearwardly extending` lug, and projecting below the same suitably to protect the said sprinO.

WLLAM S. THOMSON.

Nitnessesz G. R. BOND, E. H. GALriN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

